What's new

Christmas Tree

We don't have a lot in the way of Christmas decorations but one of my very favorite parts of Christmas is putting up and decorating the tree. Each ornament is special, and it's like looking through a scrapbook as I unwrap them and put them up. We don't do themed or generic so they are ornaments from my childhood and ones we've gotten for the kids.

We are doing a real tree for the first time (and probably last -- ha!) this year, and I might swoon as I put up our ornaments on a real live Christmas-smelling tree! :faint2
 
I used to dread doing our tree until a couple years ago we bought a much smaller, pre-lit tree. It is maybe just 6 feet tall and pretty narrow which reduces a lot of the fluffing. Plus, my hubby insists on having it in our already crowded family room (so we can "enjoy it more" than if it were in our more formal living room) so the smaller tree fits much better than our huge former tree. If you are worn out with a big tree, I recommend downsizing. It still feels like Christmas and you still have some place to put the presents.
 
@JillW There have been several years with no tree at our house or just the top half. Most of the decorating is left up to me and I haven't felt like it. We just put up the decorations that were important to us. For me that was a nativity scene. No one seemed to care there was no tree. But it's so much fun this year wanting to do one. I'm driving my boys crazy with pinterest ideas (mainly just to pick on them, not serious ideas). So do what you feel comfortable with. it's your Christmas.
 
AnneofAlamo said:
I love TREES!!! I have these two corners that butt up against each other...on one side I have my grown up tree, it matches my living room, red, gold and sparkly...then other is EVERY homemade ornament my kids ever made...and then some! Remember I have a whole lotta kids! bhahahaView attachment 182891
Click to expand...

I knew there was a reason I loved ya, Anne!! I too have two trees - one for me (silver, purple, snowmen, snowflakes) in the living room and a kid's tree with all the kids stuff in the family room. Our presents go under the kid's tree and gifts for extended family and friends go under my tree. Both are artificial with built-in lights, but they are old and lights are burned out, so now I have to string them with lights.

We also put out lots of decorations around the house and icicle lights outside. My favorite is the lights around the sink and mirror in my guest bathroom downstairs.
 
p.s. Here in NC the live trees are usually Frasier Firs. I found out the hard way that I am allergic to them after they have sat for a week or so. So no live ones for us.
 
ohh we always had a tree, there was only one year we didn't which was 2014 as we had traveled 14 hours flight after 6 wee4ks in South America (where we went from south to north and back down again to come back to England) and we still weren't delivered the new car, we arrived on the 23rd.... so without a car, tired and with all the mobility problems I have...we left it. We did have an amazing Christmas day roast though....
Last year we had a huge white tree, which was given to us vy our ex upstairs neighbor.... not sure what will happen this year as I still not have decided what to do... I wanted to travel but as both my health and body are in no condition to go far, plus I have an appointment with the cardio surgeons on the 23rd...... not sure it will happen.
Lets hope that the spirit of Christmas makes Sarita behave too, because at this very minute.... lets just say she is in Santa's Naughty list LOL
 
We live in an apartment with no yard. We get a smaller tree (like 4ft) & put it on the dining table, which isn't used for dining anyway. I put the lights on & let the kids decorate it. All our ornaments are pretty kitschy anyway, no heirlooms. I love the smell of a fresh tree. I love the little colored lights & leave it on as late as possible at night. My older son (now 8) will run & plug it in as soon as he wakes up in the morning. All the presents are tucked around the tree on Christmas morning. It's our tradition & I love it.

We try to get our tree from Delancey which is a drug rehab/return to work program. Sometimes they don't have the right size & we go to a lot near our home. I remember Brody's 1st Christmas tree. He was not quite 2. He loved it so much that I didn't have the heart to take it down until Valentine's Day when I replaced it with hanging hearts.
 
I ended up buying a NEW tree today! LOL!
Door buster @ Michael's ... $49.00 for a 7' pencil tree.
Now I'm anxious to put it up ... It is small enough I don't think I'll mind it so much!
If it wouldn't have been on sale I probably wouldn't have gotten it.
 
JillW said:
I ended up buying a NEW tree today! LOL!
Door buster @ Michael's ... $49.00 for a 7' pencil tree.
Now I'm anxious to put it up ... It is small enough I don't think I'll mind it so much!
If it wouldn't have been on sale I probably wouldn't have gotten it.
Click to expand...
We got one last year and so much nicer to put up. We had made decorations and DH tried wrapping ribbon on it so it was too much. We're planning better this year.
 
I used to love decorating the tree when the kids were younger, it seemed so magical and fun. Now its such a chore, its always hot and sticky and the kids bicker about what goes where and I usually end up sweaty, crabby and stressed! That doesn't stop me putting it up though :)
 
I doubt we'll have anything but a ceramic table top tree this year AND a wreath out front of course. We'll be away most of the month so no, no big (biggish) tree. Our first year married - 2001- I wanted a real tree as I always had for the 15 years between husbands! I love decorating the house just for me but married a man who hated 'all the fuss'. Boy what a number wife #1 did on that account I learned.So he suffered through all the Christmas stuff I wanted and each year I did less and less because I knew I really didn't need it or want it any more. We renovated in 2004 and had a $10 spiral light tree in a partially done house. It was enough!

Finally we got a pencil tree for our kitchen area and I decorated with any food themed ornaments...pizza!...and my metal cookie cutters on red ribbon. He said....aren't you going to use the real ornaments??? Apparently Scrooge's heart melted a bit over the years. He still talks about bringing the tree up from the cellar and seeing it up before we go. Not happening!

But the best Christmas tree story I've heard was from my workmate who has a single 50+ish friend in Dallas. Her huge home has a Christmas tree closet on the ground floor where the super decorated tree lives for 11 months of the year. Always decorated, always ready. That's Texas I guess!
 
Most years we put up two trees, an artificial one in the family room and a real one in the living room. One of our big family traditions when the girls were growing up was to go out an cut down our tree at a Christmas tree farm. If either of them are home for Christmas they always want to know if we're getting a real tree. I don't decorate much for any other holiday but I still go all out at Christmas.
 
Back
Top